Metropolitan Hilarion (Grigoriy Valerievich Alfeyev) was born on 24 July 1966 in Moscow. He began his musical education at Moscow’s Gnessins’ Special School for Music, followed by further studies at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire. He studied Theology at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, and at the University of Oxford.

He holds the degrees of Doctor of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy.

In 1987 he joined the priesthood of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2002 he was elevated to the rank of bishop, and in 2009 he became an archbishop, a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. On 1 February 2010 he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan.

He is the author of more than eight hundred publications, including books on theological, philosophical, church historical, musical, art and social subjects.

Main musical works

Songs of Death. Suite for voice with orchestra to words by F. Garcia Lorca (comp. 1984, orch. 2011)

Divine Liturgy for mixed choir (2006)

All-Night Vigil for soloists and mixed choir (2006)

St Matthew Passion for soloists, choir and string orchestra (2006)

Christmas Oratorio for soloists, boys’ choir, mixed choir and symphony orchestra (2007)

Song of Ascent. Symphony for choir and orchestra on the text of Psalms (2008)

Stabat Mater for soloists, choir and orchestra (2011)

Concerto grosso for two violins, viola, cello, harpsichord and string orchestra (2012)

Fugue on the theme BACH for symphony orchestra (2012)